Under 19 Male National Championships

Cricket Australia National Umpire Panel member Simon Fry has been appointed to the Cricket Australia Under 19 Male National Championships and will mentor the team in Adelaide.

The Tournament is the pinnacle in the underage male pathway and will be officiated by the top State-Panel Umpires in the country. Fry’s addition to the panel will provide experience from the International and Domestic First-Class game. Fry began his umpiring journey back in the 1998/99 season in the SACA Premier Cricket competition and quickly established himself as one of the State’s leading umpires. Fry was first appointed to a CA Underage Competition in 2000/2001 when he travelled to Hobart to officiate in the Under 19 Male National Championships. This was after being originally appointed to the Under 17 Tournament that season. Later that season, Fry went on to make his One-Day Domestic Debut in the match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Adelaide Oval.

The following season, Fry made his First-Class Debut in the Pura Cup Match again between South Australia and New South Wales at the Adelaide Oval and would officiate in another four Pura Cup Matches that season. Fry was named SACA Umpire of the Year in season 2004/05 and again in 2005/06

Fry went gone on to Umpire at the highest level and notes his Test Match Debut as one of his career highlights. “I will always treasure my test debut played between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Columbo in October 2015. I was fortunate to umpire the match with fellow Australian umpire Rod Tucker. Marais Erasmus was the third umpire and David Boon the match referee”. In the 50-Over format, his International Debut had a familiar feel about it. Australia v England on Australia Day 2011 at the Adelaide Oval, where he stood with South African Marais Erasmus. I’m not sure that there could be a bigger game on home soil for an Australian umpire in the current era.

Fry is looking ahead to this season’s Under 19 National Championships, No one person has all of the answers and these tournaments provide each of us with a great opportunity to learn from one another. Embrace the opportunity to build lifelong friendships.